Node

On E2, virtually every page is a node and many of the items contained in a page are nodes. That's both technical and vague so here's how it works for the average user: In its most commonly used context, a "node" is a collection of one or more writeups/articles, such as the page you are viewing now. Don't let the title mislead you. This here is a node that happens to bear the title "node" because it talks about nodes. Other systems may call it a "topic" and you should think of it as such if it helps.

If you are just viewing my writeup, without the others below, then you are on the single writeup display page (which, rather confusingly, is a node in its own right) and should click the link all of node, there are X more writeups in this node that you see just above this writeup. You can also adjust how you view E2 by going to your preferences link in your Epicenternodelet on the right. We highly recommend you choose display type "full" because most people use it and all writeups are displayed.

What you're really viewing when you're looking at a node like this one is a type of node called an "E2node". This is what's generally meant when someone says "node." A single e2node may contain any number of writeups by any number of users. A writeup is what you are reading right now, this is "Virgil's" writeup for the node "node". There are a number of writeups below mine that give different definitions for different contexts of the word "node". If there were a song called "node" its lyrics would most likely be below. If there were a play entitled "node" the play's author and basic plot would most likely be below. You may also come across a node that contains no writeups, in which case we call it a "nodeshell." A nodeshell is still a valid e2node, just one with no content. If you create an e2node, it will be a nodeshell until you post your writeup.

Users will often refer to writeups as nodes or nodes as writeups. This is technically incorrect but you can't fight common usage. For instance, a user would say in the chatterbox"I'm working on a new node" or "Check out my node on reptiles". What the user really means is "Check out my writeup in reptiles". Nobody "owns" a node. It makes little difference if your writeup is first or fifth. After fifth you might want to consider not adding a writeup unless you've really got something new to say.

Besides "E2nodes" there is a "document" node type. A 'document' node is one large page with a single "writeup". A document will not have a particular author assigned to it - only E2 staff can create a document. For examples of different documents check out

As an extra thought: Since any number of components can be connected to a node, it can used as a method for locating components. If one names each node, and then indicates, for each component, which terminals of the component connect to which nodes, one has an unambiguous mapping of a circuit; this is, for example, the approach that spice uses.

(a) The uncalcified proximal extremity of a branch froming an articulation in a jointed colony of cheilostome bryozoans. (b) A knob, protuberance, or thickened or swollen part of an animal, such as a small boss at the end of a foraminiferal pillar.

In regards to hypertext terminology, A node is a unit of information. Sometimes this can also be refered to as a (Hyper or Note) Card, or frame. However it's largely terminology used by people directly involved in hypertext creation and utilization. The common user would more likely refer to it as a document or textfile, though that's not always the case. The word Node is occasionally used to mean network host but this is misleading and improper. Consequently, an anchor is an area inside a given node which equates to the destination of a given link from some other node. Technically, you click on an anchor, which takes you through the link, to get to the node that the anchor was linked to. We say "click on the link" but that's technically misleading. What we see highlighted inside a particular node is actually an anchor which uses the link to get us to the anchored node. If I lost you with all of that, just ignore the whole anchor thing and think of everything as links and nodes. Everybody else does anyway. Why split hairs?

In regards to human physiology, lymph nodes are another term for the glands of the lymphatic system in the body. They are small organs shaped like beans which contain thousands of leukocytes embedded in the tissue. The bloodstream passes through these lymph nodes which filter out toxins from the body. These nodes also produce phagocytes which assist the body's immune system. During infection of a humanoid system, more phagocytes are produced from these nodes, causing them to swell, causing inflamation and sometimes painful discomfort. These can most noticably be detected by physicians in the armpit, on the neck, or near the groin. Sometimes malignancies caused by cancer can reach the lymphatic system, and travel through the body at a disasterous rate.

In these data structures the node serves as a temporary location that a pointer is pointing to for a program variable to traverse the data structure or access the data within it. A node usually contains a link or links to other nodes in the structure as well as some data.

There are two basic kinds of nodes. There is a parent node, which has links to other nodes and leaf nodes, which do not.

This object represents a single node within the document tree. As such, it provides methods for dealing with the tree hierarchy, including handling child nodes. Be aware that not all objects that inherit from Node actually permit child nodes (e.g. Text nodes). Further, it provides "standard" attributes of nodeName, nodeValue and attributes which may or may not map to the specific object's attributes (e.g. Comment nodes do not have attributes). For details of a particular Node type, see the relevant write up:

Introduced in DOM Level 2.
Null if there is no namespace specified. The value is the literal value used when the node was created, not resolved in any way. Under DOM2, only Element and Attribute nodes have namespaces and only then when created with the new methods.

If newChild is already a child of this node, it is removed.
If refChild is not null, the insertion point is positioned before it. If null, then the insertion point is after the current last child node.
newChild is then added at the insertion point.

If newChild is a DocumentFragment, all the contained nodes are added to this node's children.

The exceptions thrown are:

HIERARCHY_REQUEST_ERR

A circular reference would be created or this node does not permit child nodes of newChild's or its decendents' type.

WRONG_DOCUMENT_ERR

newChild does not belong in this document.

NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR

The node is read only or newChild is read only (we need to set its parentNode!).

If newChild is already a child of this node, it is removed.
oldChild is removed (and returned) and newChild is added in its place.
If newChild is a DocumentFragment, all the contained nodes are added to this node's children.

The exceptions thrown are:

HIERARCHY_REQUEST_ERR

A circular reference would be created or this node does not permit child nodes of newChild's or its decendents' type.

WRONG_DOCUMENT_ERR

newChild does not belong in this document.

NO_MODIFICATION_ALLOWED_ERR

The node is read only or newChild is read only (we need to set its parentNode!).

In network terminology, a node refers to any addressable host or device on the network. Generally, even devices with multiple addresses (e.g. - routers, servers with multiple NICs, etc.) are referred to as single nodes.

Nodes (or, sometimes, "nodules") are
calluses that form on the vocal cords in response to
misuse. If you're lucky, they'll go away by themselves. If you're typical, you'll have to have surgery.

When I met my college
girlfriend, she had just had node surgery, and was prohibited to speak. We met at the music library, where we worked as desk clerks, helping people find things and checking materials in and out. Because she couldn't speak for those first few weeks, we communicated by leaving notes for each other on the desk blotter.

In plant terminology, a node is the area from which leaves, branches, or roots emerge. Plants are made up of a series of nodes; the areas in between the nodes which consist only of stem are known as internodes. Leafy nodes may consist of one leaf, two leaves, or several leaves. (this is important in identifying the plant.)

In plant propagation, nodes are very important becuase they are the areas where opportunistic roots may form. When a cutting is taken, at least one node must be found in each cutting so the plant can form new roots. (usually at least 2 nodes is better as they are often reluctant to produce leaves and roots from the same node) In other techniques, such as layering, an entire node or series of nodes are buried in dirt or another medium, while the nodes are still connected to the parent plant as well. If things go well, these areas will form new roots, and may be detatched to form a new plant.

The orbit of a satellite about the Earth (or anything else, for that matter) is in the shape of a conic section, with the center of the Earth at one focus of the conic section.1 The orbit, therefore, lies in a single plane in space, which also contains the center point of the Earth.

The Earth's equator also lies in a single plane in space, containing the center point of the Earth.

These two planes, the orbital and and equatorial, intersect in a line passing through the center of the Earth. This line is called the "node" of the orbit.

The node line is often depicted as two vectors, separated by 180 degrees, pointing away from the Earth's center along the node. The ascending node is the vector intersected by the orbit as the satellite moves from south to north. The descending node is the opposite: the vector intersected by the orbit as the satellite moves from north to south.

Because nodes are locate at the conjunction of multiple paths, locations providing goods and services to those traveling along the associated paths often spring up, a dynamic reinforced if a node is a "break of bulk" point.

1. [Internet, UUCP] A host machine on the network. 2. [MS-DOS BBSes] A dial-in line on a BBS. Thus an MS-DOS sysop might say that his BBS has 4 nodes even though it has a single machine and no Internet link, confusing an Internet hacker no end.

Ascending nodeAstron., the node at which the body is passing northerly, marked with the symbol &astascending;, called the Dragon's head. Called also northern node. -- Descending node, the node at which the body is moving southwardly, marked thus &astdescending;, called Dragon's tail. -- Line of nodes, a straight line joining the two nodes of an orbit.